kenya

Education of girls is essential in the drive by nations to achieve development goals.

Despite this fact, the girl child is often perceived and treated as inferior and has been socialized to put their needs second after everyone’s thus undermining their self-esteem.

Many girls hardly get the relevant type of education that would make them overcome the social, cultural and health challenges.

As a result many girls end up dropping out of school for a number of reasons. To empower such girls so as to attain knowledge and skills that help them make a change in their life, KMET came up with SFC (Sisterhood For Change) program.

The SFC program empowers girls to attain knowledge and skills that will improve their economic independence and soundness.

The goal of SFC is to increase access to livelihood opportunities and sexual reproductive health information/services to adolescent girls and young women from poor backgrounds. Participants are trained in vocational, reproductive health or life skills besides hairdressing, dress making and food and beverage courses.

For those who wish to enroll and have children; no need to worry because KMET has also established a daycare facility to take care for the little ones as their mothers learn.

SFC works with a range of stakeholders into meeting some of its objectives. These includes the police, Government ministries, local administrators, community leaders, religious leaders, parents whose mandate is to provide ongoing support, guidance, contribute to the growth of the program and feedback to the KMET management on how best to improve quality of services offered at SFC. This forms a committee named the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC).

In addition, KMET offers referral sites on health related matters affecting the adolescent girls at SFC to bring in positive health seeking behavior among the adolescents and young women to reduce the social and structural factors that contribute to HIV vulnerability.

Once the participant is through with Vocational training they are placed in a 3-month internship, where they develop their vocational skills.

Courses Offered.

Food and Beverage (6months)
Hairdressing Beauty Therapy (6months)
Dress making (one year).
The courses run for six months apart from the Tailoring course that runs for one year.

Intake is ongoing. If you wish to enroll please contact:
Jennifer Musuya
Email:j.musuya@kmet.co.ke
Cell: 0719364388
You can also reach us by visiting our website: http://www.kmet.co.ke or follow us on Facebook and twitter.

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Did you know that a rape victim is statistically more likely to get raped again than a female who has never been raped? There’s no common denominator like- job, age or even neighborhood. It’s just that if it happened once, it’s more likely to happen again.

In a 1999 longitudinal study of 3,000 women, researchers found women who had been victimized before were seven times more likely to be raped again.

Vera*(not her real name) had just lost her parents at the age of thirteen and the future seemed so dark. Being the first born, she assumed the role of a parent to her siblings who were still young.

Luckily, she got a job as a house help and now her siblings could find something to eat. Little did she know that hell was about to break loose. One evening while she was going about her duties her employer’s husband raped her and threatened to take away her job if she dared say a thing.

This went on for two years without the wife’s knowledge and when she complained of experiencing pain, this man would only say isebet kitimo chode (you have been prostituting).

One fine morning, her Aunt decided to come for her and take her to school where her children were also studying. Her life had just begun to show some light and there was so much hope for the future, this time round nothing could go wrong.

One day after classes her teacher sent her to clean the chicken house and she went without hesitating, he later asked her to wash the dishes and this was another sad ending as she was raped again! Something she thought would never happen.

She sought for someone to confide in and at that time her uncle was the only one but too bad she was already pregnant and her teacher opted to marry her at seventeen.

Pain from the memories of her previous rapist were fresh in her mind whenever she got intimate with her husband and this went on for two years till she felt she could not take it anymore. Her husband got angry and most times he would leave the house without giving her any money yet she had a baby to take care of.

This was not happening again, this time round she had to be in control, enough of all the pain! She decided to escape and rent her own house with her now two children. Her job was well paying, the only job this sad world had taught her and she did not care what anyone else thought-she was a prostitute!

Her job would end late yet with two young children she had to rush back home at odd hours. One night along the street he met with three men who wanted to gang rape her, she had to think fast.

“I have AIDS”, she yelled. Luckily enough two of the men who could not stand the thought of contracting the disease left and she was left with one who was very persistent. She later managed to escape with the help of a motorist passing by.

“I haven’t shared my story with any one till I came to Kmet to gain basic skills. My teacher has been very supportive and that’s why i decided to open up to her, she counseled me and even gave me a shoulder to cry on .I feel better now, I don’t prostitute any more”. She concluded.

In order to reduce occurrences of SGBV, KMET has come up with Freedom House (rescue center) to help tackle challenges young women face. It aims to educate and empower GBV victims as well as give them the opportunity to indulge, share and overcome experiences of abuse.

Ending the violence starts with you and that is why we encourage everyone to be responsible enough to report the cases at any nearest responsible center.

You can also call us for free on 0800724500 or contact these numbers for help: Child line Kenya-116 and Health Assistance Kenya-1195.

If you wish to contact JOOTRH Gender based Violence Centre Call 07141388868 or beep for medical attention.